The syn/anti-Dichotomy in the Palladium-Catalyzed Addition of Nucleophiles to Alkenes

In this review the stereochemistry of palladium-catalyzed addition of nucleophiles to alkenes is discussed, and examples of these reactions in organic synthesis are given. Most of the reactions discussed involve oxygen and nitrogen nucleophiles; the Wacker oxidation of ethylene has been reviewed in detail. An anti-hydroxypalladation in the Wacker oxidation has strong support from both experimental and computational studies. From the reviewed material it is clear that anti-addition of oxygen and nitrogen nucleophiles is strongly favored in intermolecular addition to olefin–palladium complexes even if the nucleophile is coordinated to the metal. On the other hand, syn-addition is common in the case of intramolecular oxy- and amidopalladation as a result of the initial coordination of the internal nucleophile to the metal.